


Coexistence

by TG_Esmeralda



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, HitokaxMulti, Multi, Omega Verse, Omega Yachi Hitoka, Yachi Hitoka-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23919811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TG_Esmeralda/pseuds/TG_Esmeralda
Summary: Twenty-three and unmated. Hitoka Yachi has been hiding her existence as an omega since puberty. What is she supposed to do when she inadvertently grabs the attention of alphas while in pre-heat.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

She woke up to the sound of her alarm beeping. 

Rummaging for her phone under the blankets she found the source emitting the offending noise and brought the device to her face. Tapping the screens stop button and placing the phone on her bedside counter, she moved to pull her bed covers off her body and stepped out of bed. Raising to her full 5’1” height she let out a yawn and raised her arms above her head to stretch. 

Today was an important day for Yachi Hitoka. She was tasked to work on a solo commission for an up and coming company and was to meet their CEO and go over the brief.

She was getting dressed in her bedroom when she glanced at her monthly calendar hanging on the wall. It had today's date circled in red, and starting tomorrow there was a week marked which she estimated would be when her pre-heat would start and end.

She had been maneuvering through pre-heats since puberty and had become comfortable enough hiding her scent in all types of environments. When her body started showing the signs of pre-heat she would follow through with the appropriate steps. Steps that allowed her to live her normal life and not have to hide herself away in her apartment for a week.

Opening her bedside counter drawer, she pulled out a clear PET plastic packer bottle and a small round metal container. 

Hitoka takes scent suppressant pills daily which completely suppresses the identifying scent of the user when not in heat or pre-heat but is only eighty percent efficient when they are in heat or pre-heat. She also daily applies a clear balm below her nose that nullifies alpha pheromones from entering her system. The balm works successfully at eighty percent when she is not in heat and is fifty percent effective when in pre-heat. 

Done with her morning ritual of ingesting the gel pill and distributing the balm under her nose she finalized her outfit and went into her bathroom to curl her hair. The twenty-three year old was not one for wearing make-up, but she still wanted to look a little more polished for today’s meeting, so she applied some mascara and tinted lip balm.

She ate a light breakfast then grabbed her black briefcase and headed for the door. At the entrance she slipped on her shoes and made sure to have everything she needed before leaving her apartment and making her way to the train station.

_______________________

Hitoka checked the clock on her computer screen, it read 10:45 am. Deciding that it was time to leave, she logged off her desktop and made her way down to the lobby. 

Exiting the elevator, she went into the restroom to quickly check on her appearance. 

Standing in front of a full body mirror she looked over her outfit. Her white long sleeve button up shirt was still crisp and clean. The shirt was tucked into her black pencil skirt and paired with nude pumps. Her long hair was pulled into a low side pony-tail. The blonde hair falling over her left shoulder had been slightly curled. Walking closer to the mirror, Hitoka leaned forward to get a better look at her face. The tinted lip balm she applied earlier was holding strong even after her coffee, and her mascara was not flaking off.

Satisfied with her appearance, Hitoka left the restroom and made her way to the front desk. She greeted the receptionist and started talking amicably with her, while she waited for the client. It was a couple minutes after they had started talking that a man walked through the building entrance doors. He was wearing a red hoodie and black adidas track pants, paired with sneakers. It was a very casual look. His black hair with blonde ends were tied in a messy bun behind his head. 

He stepped up to the front desk, and Hitoka thought he would ask where the bathroom was and then be on his way. 

“I’m here to meet with Yachi-san in ad design” spoke the man.

Hitoka’s heart sped up a little. She felt embarrassed for judging a person based on their appearance. It had taken her by surprise that the very important client she was meeting with today, the CEO commissioning her, was around her age.

The blonde smiled and said, “I’m Hitoka Yachi, are you Kozume-san?”.

“Yes, I’m Kozume Kenma” he responded.

“It’s nice to meet you Kozume-san, please follow me to the office we’ll be using” said Hitoka as she started making her way towards the elevator. 

The elevator was quick to let them in, and the petite woman pushed the button for the fifth floor. Kenma hadn’t smelled anything when the blonde introduced herself at the lobby, so he assumed that she was a beta. Betas have weak scents because their bodies don’t heavily produce the pheromones that identify them as either alpha or omega. 

No one else was in the elevator other than them. Hitoka wasn’t one for small talk and hoped that they wouldn’t be interrupted on their ascent. Luckily no one else entered after them and they reached their level quickly. Hitoka was the first one leaving the elevator when a current of cold air greeted them. 

The scent he hadn’t noticed in the space of the elevator now infiltrated his nostrils. It was a mix of rich jasmine, sweet vanilla and warm honey. It had to be one of the most appealing scents he’s ever come across, she smelled absolutely delicious.

He followed her as she led him to a meeting room. The room had a large table in the middle with several chairs. On the table was a laptop and tablet. She closed the door behind him, and they made their way to the large desk. 

Hitoka sat in front of the laptop and he took his seat adjacent to the electronics. They started talking about what the goal was, what message he wanted to get across to his audience, and other details like what colors he’d like and deadlines for the design.

Throughout the entire meeting Kenma had been partly paying attention to what she was saying and showing him on the computer. The other half of his attention was focused on discreetly sniffing her and taking in her appearance. 

His mind had registered her as attractive to him in the lobby, but he hadn’t been really paying attention to her then. Now that he was right next to her, he was engrossed with memorizing her features and scent. 

She had silky blush blonde hair, soft inviting plump lips, large warm amber eyes. Her neck was long, creamy and unblemished. Her white blouse rose with the swell of her chest and was eased into her form fitting black skirt that accentuated the curve of her hips and displayed her long slim legs. 

At this point, he was sure he was in the presence of an omega. Had she been a good smelling beta he wouldn’t be this distracted during a business meeting. 

They were at the end of their meeting now. Hitoka had initially suggested that they communicate electronically through email or video conference regarding any new details, ideas and deadlines pertaining to the commission. 

Fearing he would never see her again. Kenma insisted that they meet up in person so that he can express his ideas and direct her in the right path immediately, so that they wouldn’t waste any time and effort and were on the same page. He could have absolutely said everything he needed to just as comfortably through virtual means, but that would mean he wouldn’t be in close proximity with her again.

They had agreed to meet again in about a week’s time at her place of work. She offered to walk him to the lobby, and he accepted. 

Hitoka bid him farewell from the receptionist’s desk and watched him leave through the glass front doors. The breeze from outside brushed his person and entered the building as the door closed behind him.

She registered the sweet and spicy scent of cinnamon. Normally she wouldn’t be aware of anyone’s scent because of the pills she takes and the balm she applies. She only ever notices alpha's scents when she’s already in pre-heat. And the scents of alphas are more potent to her senses because her body wants to find a mate.

Realization struck her. She had already started pre-heat! Her estimated start day had been off!

The thought was fleeting but Hitoka wondered if Kozume-san was able to smell her. Self-conscious of her own scent and slightly anxious about being unprepared Hitoka walked back towards the elevator but leaned her back against the wall across from the machine not pushing the button. She needed to collect her thoughts before integrating back with her colleagues upstairs. 

Thankfully it was the first day so her pheromones weren’t going crazy and no alpha should be able to notice her omega status unless they were to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, or their instincts were top notch. 

Comforted with this thought Hitoka made her way back to her cubicle and went about with the rest of her workday. And when it was time to go home, she made sure to ride the women only passenger car on the train.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the next day, and Hitoka was on her way home riding the woman’s only car in the train. She had her wireless earbuds on and was zoning out. 

The blonde felt pretty accomplished with the workday she just finished. She had rough concept sketch ideas for Kozume-san to look over when they next met, and she had wrapped up a week long team project.

Hitoka still had plenty to do for Kozume-san’s project before the first meeting. Nonetheless, she was proud at how diligent she was being and decided to treat herself. As a reward for being productive she chose to go out to dinner at her favorite izakaya.  
__________

Stepping into her apartment she took off her pumps and made her way into the living room where she set down her black briefcase by the low table. The book on the counter caught her eye, she had just finished the first chapter the other day after work. Glancing at the clock on the wall she decided it was too early to head out to the izakaya and so she settled onto the couch and picked up where she left off in the book.

It was about an hour later that she started to feel the tugging of hunger and put the novel down. After quickly watering her house plants she went into her bedroom to change. Hitoka stripped off her office attire and decided to dress casual and comfortable for the trip to the izakaya.

She put on black skinny jeans with a plain white t-shirt. Over the shirt she layered an oversized grey turtleneck sweater. Remembering that it was still a bit chilly out she grabbed her lightweight long black hooded coat, and then donned no-show socks.

Leaving her blonde hair in a low bun, she went to grab her little black backpack and transferred all her essentials inside. Having everything she needed she slipped-on her black shoes and left.  
__________

Entering the establishment, she took in the yellow lights and the smell of cooking pork, eggs, cheese, and lit cigarettes. 

Seeing a few empty spots Hitoka chose to sit at the end of the counter. On her way to the seat she passed a few men who were smoking and talking amicably with each other. Settling into the stool she was able to notice the ambiance of the izakaya from her spot. From here she could see bacon hanging from the ceiling overhead where the chefs cooked, and counted four lit square paper lanterns hanging above patron seats. 

One of the chefs placed a thin paper menu in front of her. Looking it over quickly she spotted oden on the menu, thinking it was perfect for the cold weather she ordered that. 

It was when the order of oden was placed in front of her that someone took the spot to her left. Too enticed by the food before her she gave the stranger no mind and started eating with gusto. She heard a small laugh from her left and looked to see who it was. It was a dapper looking man who had dark brown hair styled in a side-parted quiff and was wearing a dark grey business suit, sharp white dress shirt and navy-blue tie. 

Turning away from Hitoka to face the chef the stranger said, “I’ll have an order of oden please”.

Slightly flustered from being laughed at, Hitoka went back to eating.

“I apologize if I came off as rude” the man started, “I just haven’t seen someone eat with such enthusiasm in a while” he said with a disarming smile. 

“The food here is always great” answered Hitoka, “This is my favorite izakaya in the city” mentioned the blonde.

“I believe it, the smell inside drew me in” he said.

Returning to her food she continued eating. After finishing the oden, she ordered a bottle of warm sake and todays special which was a marmalade tuna spare rib. 

Sipping on her sake she noticed the man had ordered a pint of beer and was now eating yakisoba. 

Hitoka and the man wearing the suit did not exchange words for the remainder of dinner. And after she was done with her drink and food, she got ready to leave.  
_____________

Stepping through the sliding door of the izakaya she was greeted by the sight and sound of rain. Luckily this establishment had a door awning large enough for a handful of people to stand under, and she was the only one outside right now. 

Great. She was a little buzzed, it was raining, and she hadn’t brought an umbrella with her.

Hearing the sound of the sliding door opening behind her, Hitoka moved to the side to let the person out. Turning to see who it was, she recognized the face as the man who was sitting next to her at the counter.

Inside the izakaya she wasn’t able to smell anything other than food and cigarettes. But now that it was just the two of them outside, she was able to pick up his scent. His strong pheromones told her he was an alpha. He smelled like juniper, a mix of earthy pine and fiery pepper.

Caught off guard by his presence she looked away from his face.

Iwaizumi Hajime had just exited the establishment when he noticed the cute stranger from inside was under the awning and looking at him. Quickly her gaze moved from his face and settled on the hand holding his umbrella. 

Suddenly things clicked in his mind. The lady must have not brought an umbrella and was probably waiting for the rain to slow down a bit before making a run for it. 

“It’s raining hard” Hajime spoke, breaking Hitoka out of her thoughts.

“Yeah” the blonde said. The rain was getting louder and stronger. Drowning out her voice.

“You can borrow my umbrella” he said suddenly. 

“Huh?” she responded, “No it’s ok, I’m wearing a hooded coat” the petite woman countered.

“Please, I insist” Hajime said unyieldingly.

“What about you?” she questioned, “You’ll get wet in the rain if I take the umbrella”. 

“Don’t worry. I have a spare in my suitcase, and besides I’m waiting for a taxi” he said calmly. 

Less conflicted about the situation now that she knows he has an extra, she relented and accepted the offered parasol. After all she really didn’t want to be wet, cold, and buzzed on the way back home.

“Do you want to give me your information, so I know where to return it?” Hitoka asked.

Hajime agreed and pulled out his wallet. Extending his arm with a business card in hand. Her reflexes were a bit slowed due to the alcohol and she leaned closer then intended when reaching for the small piece of paper. Close enough to be in his personal space. 

It was brief, but the dark haired man smelled her. She had a distinct sweet exotic fragrance, that made his mind go hazy for a second.

Her fingers brushed against his as the card exchanged hands. The small contact of skin had an immediate effect on his body. He felt his heartbeat speed up, making his body start warming up. The changes the small woman was causing to his person made Hajime recognize that she was an omega. 

Omegas were rare, there was about a one in a hundred chance of meeting them. And the older they got the less likely they were to be unmated. He didn’t pick up another alpha’s scent on her so that meant that she was unmated. With this realization he wasn’t ready to permanently say goodbye to her.

With the information now secured in her hands Hitoka brought it to her face. “Iwaizumi Hajime” she read his name aloud and then turned to look at him, “Thank you” she said sincerely. 

Pink colored his cheeks briefly and his arm lifted to the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about it” he replied.

She placed the card in her jacket pocket and opened up the umbrella. Smiling radiantly at him and thanking him once more she headed into the rain.

Hajime watched her disappear down the street, all the while trying to commit her figure and scent to memory before losing sight of her completely.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the next day during her lunch break that Hitoka called the number on the business card. Iwaizumi Hajime had lent her his umbrella and she wanted to return the item.

After three rings the line picked up. “Hello is this Iwaizumi-san” she asked.

“Yes, it is and who might this be” he answered calmly. 

Her tone perked up. “Hello, I’m Yachi Hitoka. The one from the izakaya yesterday” she supplied.

“Oh yeah” she heard his voice answer in recognition, “I’m glad to hear from you” the man said.

“I wanted to know if you had some free time either today or tomorrow, so I could return the umbrella” the blonde inquired. Hitoka planned to give back the parasol and then offer to buy the nice man a coffee. 

“I’m sorry. I’m actually going out of town on a business trip, but I’ll be back in a week” she heard him say through the receiver. 

“It’s no problem at all, I’ll hold on to it until then” Hitoka replied good naturedly. Secretly slightly disappointed that her goal wouldn’t be completed today.

“Thank you for being understanding” he said and then asked, “is the number you’re calling from your cell phone”.

“It is” she answered. 

“Great, I’ll message you in a week then” he voiced.

“That works” the blonde replied, “have a nice rest of your day” she said in farewell.

“Same to you” offered Hajime before hanging up.  
_______

After work Hitoka was hoping to return the umbrella, but since that wasn’t going to happen today, she had the rest of the afternoon free and thought to make the most of it by doing something out of the house.

It was after five when she left her office building. The young woman had heard good things about the new supermarket that opened relatively close to her job and wanted to check it out. She was told that it offered large selections but that some items were grossly overpriced.

The blonde arrived at the mart and grabbed a small shopping cart. Taking out her phone, she opened the app reminders to see what she currently had on her grocery list. She took her time going through the aisles and getting a feel for the store and its layout. Everything was nice and clean, the atmosphere in this store was refined but not opulent. 

So far Hitoka’s seen a large selection of vegetables and frozen foods, some fairly inexpensive already made to-go lunches, and affordable everyday kitchen ingredients like miso, fish, and soymilk. She passed through the meat and dairy section, and the prices for some specialty cheeses and meats had her shook. The wife’s in the office weren’t kidding when they said some items were overpriced. But the cost for a specific brand of milk had her do a double take, forty dollars for milk was just ridiculous. Currently she only had one packet of tofu in her basket. 

Hitoka was now in the produce side of the market and was debating on whether to get strawberries or mandarins. Both were in season right now, and neither were on her grocery list but would be welcomed in her kitchen.

Not realizing she was taking too long in front of the fruit, the waiting patron on her left moved closer to the display and reached for a container of strawberries. 

“Excuse me” said a deep voice as a large hand moved in front of her view. 

The interruption of silence and sudden motion broke the young woman out of her dilemma, “I’m sorry” Hitoka replied automatically as she stepped out of the stranger’s way.

Her amber eyes took in a tall man sporting all Nike apparel. He had dark olive brown hair and was dressed in a black pullover training hoodie, black joggers and white sneakers. His powerful scent surrounded her a second later, it had strong hints of sandalwood, an aroma best described as a smooth deep woody fragrance. He smelled good, really good if she was being honest. Even after applying the scent suppressant balm under her nose, she was still able to smell this alpha with clarity. 

Red fruit in hand and next to her now the man spoke, “You seemed to be concentrating hard. If you’re deciding on which to get, I suggest the strawberries”.

“Why do you say that” asked the blonde. A bit surprised that this tall stranger would start up a conversation.

“Both are grown from fertile soil and are splendid, but the strawberries sold at this market come from the northern region and are superior” explained the male.

“Oh. Do you work here” questioned Hitoka, “You seem to know a lot about the products”.

“I do not. I just know a thing or two about first rate fruit” answered the man. He glanced at her basket and only saw some tofu. “Do you want more produce recommendations” he asked.

The blonde laughed embarrassed, “It’s ok, this is my first time to this market. I was really just checking it out” answered Hitoka. Deciding to take the man’s suggestion she walked closer to the sea of vermillion and picked up a pack of strawberries.

Fruit now obtained in her basket Hitoka craned her neck up to look at the towering man. The sudden action had her silky long blonde hair glide over her shoulders and expose her neck. The smell was faint, covered by the turtleneck she was wearing, but he was able to pick up a heady jasmine and sweet vanilla scent. The aroma her pheromones were producing were divine and had him discreetly inhale deeply.

Ushijima Wakatoshi’s heard the stories of how alphas behave when in the presence of an omega. Of how they were instantly attracted to the omegas sweet scent and how their alpha body reacts with instinct trying to take over. He suspected that the small blonde woman was an omega, and that he was experiencing some of the tell-tale signs right now. His gut was telling him that he needed to not scare the woman away, while his brain was telling him to get to know her better, and his body was telling him to get closer to her and stick by her side.

“What made you want to check out this supermarket” Wakatoshi asked nonchalantly, trying to keep the conversation going.

“Some of the ladies at my job were talking about this new store, and I wanted to see it for myself” honestly answered Hitoka.

“Oh, so this market is close to where you work” he said. Only now taking in her outfit. She had on a cream turtleneck sweater, tapered high waisted beige grey plaid trousers, and dark leather loafers. Based off his observation and his knowledge of the places around this area he suspected she had an office job.

“Yeah. This place is nice though” she said in appreciation, “I might have to start shopping here more often”.

Pleased with the idea of running into her again Wakatoshi wholeheartedly endorsed the establishment, “This store is really practical for me since it’s open twenty-four hours and it has such a large variety of items” he proclaimed.

“Oh wow, I didn’t know it ran all day. That makes this place more convenient for me” the blond said. “Somedays I don’t have time to prepare lunch and have to buy out. At least here they offer a large selection of packaged bentos at a reasonable price” she offered.

Hitoka hadn’t noticed that while she was talking, she was also slowly inching closer to the dark haired man. Troubled with the thought of her body seeking an alpha the small woman quickly excused herself. “Anyways I should hurry up and finish shopping before I spend another thirty minutes just wondering around” commented the blonde, “It was nice meeting you, uh” she paused.

“Ushijima Wakatoshi” he supplied.

“It was nice meeting you Ushijima-san, I’m Yachi Hitoka” she said finishing her greeting.

“It was a pleasure making your acquaintance” he said in turn. 

His manner of speaking was different but refreshing, it was polite but also honest. Hitoka couldn’t help the smile that sprouted on her lips as she gave him one last glance before turning away and heading towards the register.

The smile she graced him with had his body freeze like a deer caught in headlights. It was so pure and angelic that he felt his body seize up from the tension of restraining himself. Had he been a weaker alpha that got a whiff of her scent she may have been in trouble. The thought left a foul taste in his mouth. He has superior control over his body but that doesn’t mean that others do too. This young woman is being reckless walking around unprotected. She should at least have an alpha friend scent her so that she can mislead others, he mused to himself.

Wakatoshi watched Hitoka leave. His eyes followed her movements to make sure she was unharmed. He considered tailing her around since he was already done with practice but decided against it. After all it would be hard not to notice a 6’4” guy following you.

Hopefully he would run into her again.   
_________

With her few groceries in a plastic bag. Hitoka made her way to the station. All the while thinking about the stranger who talked to her today. She was glad she left when she did because had she kept talking to the wonderful smelling alpha her defenses may have gone down and she could get herself in trouble.

There was nothing wrong with being an omega or being marked by an alpha and becoming dependent on them. She just didn’t want to do that right now. Hitoka liked her independence and worked hard to get where she was in her career and life. She was young and single and still wanted to enjoy her freedom, so that meant not getting involved with an alpha.

The way she viewed the omega and alpha dynamics were as followed: Scenting is at the very least flirting, mating was dating, and marking is essentially marriage. Scenting signifies to those in the vicinity that they are taken. It is when someone smells like their partner and is used to deter alphas from omegas. It can also be quite therapeutic, bringing comfort and reassurance to omega and alpha during times of stress. Mating is just sex, beneficial to both parties during an alphas rut period or an omegas heat or pre-heat. Marking is when an alpha bites an omega and claims them as theirs. It is most welcomed after mating, when two people are serious about the relationship. Marking an omega biologically bonds them to the alpha whether they want it or not. Should an omega get marked but not complete the mating ritual with their alpha then they can still be marked by other alphas. This is how some omegas end up with multiple alphas. Only after all parties involved complete the mating ceremony will the omega’s body stop accepting new alphas, meaning that no other alpha can claim the omega. 

Done thinking about the dynamics of secondary genders Hitoka focused on the rest of her commute. She was already home, unlocking her front door when her thoughts drifted to if she should call out of work the next day. Her body was starting to act more responsively to alphas then it had before, and she didn’t have any protocol on how to deal with it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hitoka couldn’t bring herself to call out of work. She only had two more days before the long weekend, thanks to the extra time off for holiday.

So, she dressed in a dark magenta A-line skirt that ended below the knee. Her top was a black elbow length boat neck t-shirt that she paired with a black and white polka dot chiffon scarf. The blonde left her hair down and straight and forwent putting on any makeup. Satisfied with her appearance, Hitoka grabbed her long trench coat before slipping on her nude pumps and leaving the apartment.  
__

Work had been fairly simple. There were no instances where she was attracted or took special notice of the alphas in her department. She thought that maybe yesterday’s reaction to the alpha at the supermarket was a fluke, and that her body was calming down. She still didn’t want to take any chances though, so she stayed an appropriate distance from coworkers.

It was during her lunch break that she and her two beta colleagues Shibayama Yūki and Kuribayashi Runa were talking about what they were currently reading. Hitoka had finished her novel the other day and wanted recommendations. “If you want a quick read and don’t mind creepy tales about demons I suggest ‘Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo by Miyabe Miyuki’” said Runa. 

“If you like action and want to see an awesome friendship develop you need to read the manga ‘Hunter x Hunter’” said Yūki excitedly, and then continued to speak praises about the story. Hitoka valued their opinions and thought both stories sounded interesting, so she decided to pick up copies after work.

The bookstore closest to her job was a stop away by train and in the same direction that she usually goes home in. The blonde woman was pleased to find the day and events going smoothly.  
___

It was around 6 pm when Hitoka made it to the small bookstore. When she opened the door, she heard soft bells ring. She had never been to this store before and wanted to take everything in. The place was cozy, and the vibe of the shop was earthy. The shelves were tall and a dark oak brown. Some walls were brick while others were cream with olive green accents. The lighting in the establishment was a warm yellow.

There were only two other people Hitoka saw as she started making her way around the store. Neither looked like they worked there. Browsing the isles, she went to the popular literature section and was easily able to find the novel Runa mentioned. Book in hand she started to head to the manga section of the store. The number of stories they carried was extensive, but she was able to find the series. 

Tendō Satori had just finished checking out a customer and was now in his favorite section of the bookstore. He was in the shōnen jump manga section and was organizing the shelves when he noticed a small woman walk into the comic book zone. 

The books were organized in numerical order, with the first volumes on the top shelf. Hitoka was on her tip toes reaching for the first book to the collection when a shadow overtook her form. She smelled rich chocolate and saw a pale hand grab volume one. She took a step back instinctively and bumped into a warm body. Her form froze and tensed up, mortified at invading someone’s personal space.

His nose registered something sweet, floral, and inviting. The petite woman that had just been against his chest was emitting the scent. Something about the aroma had him become hyperaware, where he noticed that she was still close enough to feel her body heat.

“I’m so sorry” Hitoka said quickly regaining her senses and stepped to the side where she wouldn’t be in his way.

“It’s no problem. Sorry I snuck up on you” said the tall man with volume one in hand. 

The blonde woman was now facing him and took in his appearance. He was tall with a medium built. He had shaggy red hair and dark red eyes. The man wore old skool vans, black jeans and a white long sleeve shirt, over that he had on a mocha brown apron and name tag. Focusing on the badge she read Tendō. 

“You don’t look like the type to read manga” the employee said bluntly.

His honesty took her by surprise, “I read it from time to time. This series was actually recommended to me by a friend, so I wanted to pick up a copy” she said a little self-conscious after his comment.

“It’s a good pick, a favorite among the regulars” he informed her. “Do you need help getting any other book,” he asked gesturing to the manga in his hand. 

“No, the one you’re holding is the last one I needed” she answered.

The blonde woman was cute, smelled good, and liked shōnen jump. All those things made Tendō want to get to know her more. “Do you have an Instagram” he asked suddenly.

“I do” she answered hesitantly. Unsure where the conversation was heading.

“Would you mind if I got your handle” he asked enthusiastically.

The blonde had her account set to public, and she doesn’t post anything too personal, so she didn’t see the harm in giving him the information. “I don’t mind” Hitoka said in response.

The red-haired male immediately took out his smart phone, opened the app and handed her the mobile. She gingerly took the phone from him, typed in her username and then handed the device back. “Thank you. If you’re ready, I can check out the books for you at the register” he said.

“That’d be great” she offered. Hitoka followed the store employee to the front and paid for the books. 

He packaged them carefully in a plastic bag and handed them to her. “Have a nice rest of your day” he said in farewell.

“You too” she responded in kind and left the cute bookstore and the lively guy. The doorbell chimed behind the closing door, and the smell of chocolate following her.  
_______

When Hitoka arrived home, she learned where the trailing chocolate scent was coming from. The store employee Tendō had handled the comic book the entire time they were together. The book must have been pressed against the scent glands on his wrist and transferred over to the manga.

It was a pleasant smell. In the comfort of her apartment she inhaled deeply. The aroma of rich dark chocolate filled her lungs. It was ok to indulge her omega instincts in the comfort of her home she rationalized.

Thinking back to her interaction with the bookstore employee, Hitoka realized that even though she was in close proximity to the alpha she was still able to keep a level head. This realization reassured the blonde woman that her body was under control. Comforted with the thought, she went about the rest of her evening in peace.

____

It was 9 pm when Tendō got off work. The bookstore was closed now, and he was exuberantly making his way to the train station. His body was on auto pilot headed towards his destination, but his attention was on the phone held between his two hands. Now that he was off the clock, he could look into the life of the woman who caught his attention. 

It was on her Instagram page that he learned her name, Yachi Hitoka. She had no bio and followed only a handful of people and had a modest following. His eyes were glued to the device as he scrolled through her photos. Her latest post was from a week ago, it was an overhead food shot of ramen. The photos she shared were mostly of food, nature, and art. There were a handful of pictures of her with friends and coworkers, and even less of only her. 

The tall red head was done looking through all of her photos by the time he boarded the train. He realized he couldn’t learn all that much about her from the pictures she chose to put online. After all she likes manga and there wasn’t a single picture about the interest. There was more to her character and he wanted to find out. 

Thankfully now he had a way to contact her and see what she’s up to. He wanted to see her again and thought of a genius way to make her visit the bookstore. The next time there was a special on shōnen jump mangas he would direct message her and hopefully bait her into interacting with him again. Happy with the thought Tendō hummed to himself the rest of the way home.


	5. Chapter 5

It was Friday, the last workday before her four-day break. Hitoka had completed her projects for the day and was packing up to head home. She had every intension of taking a relaxing bubble bath and cozying up with one of her new books when her department supervisor reminded everyone that the company mixer was tonight at 7 pm.

It had completely slipped her mind that she had already signed up to go. The blonde wished she could skip out on it, because her body was strangely feeling drained all day. But office culture made it impossible to do that without it making her look bad. 

It was just her luck that her friends Yūki and Runa weren’t going to attend the party. They were, coincidentally, both going to leave town later that evening for their own vacations. Yūki said him and some of his college friends had rented out a cabin and were going to go skiing up north during the break. While Runa said she was going back to her hometown to spend time with family for a couple days. 

Knowing that they weren’t going to be there left her disheartened, but she would stick it out and drop by. Even if she was only going to be there for a little bit, she would make sure she was dressed to impress. After all, the young woman heard that this party would involve outside companies, and that it would be a good opportunity to network.

So, she went home and got ready.

___

Hitoka had arrived at the work social location at 7 pm sharp, and was currently outside taking in the structure that would hold the event. Since this was to be an end of year party as well as a mixer, it was a big one with a couple companies renting out a two-story restaurant. 

Taking a deep breath, she started making her way towards the building. The petite woman had the intention to only stay for a while. She wanted to network, but she also wanted to go home and rest.

She was wearing high rise black ankle dress pants with matching black blazer, which she left unbuttoned so that her burgundy turtleneck shirt was visible. On her feet she wore nude pumps. Her long blonde hair was out of its usual ponytail and was curled into soft waves. She wore very little makeup. Only putting on some eyeliner, mascara, and tinted lip balm. With her she carried a small burgundy purse that held her essentials. 

Stepping into the establishment Hitoka looked around to see if she knew anyone. She didn’t see any familiar faces, so she made her way to the unoccupied bar and sat down on an empty stool a bit away from a small group of men conversing at one end. There was smooth jazz instrumental music playing from the speakers overhead. 

The blonde ordered orange juice from the bar. She would have had an alcoholic drink if she wasn’t feeling so sluggish. Doing so now would lower her inhibitions and be reckless in her current pre-heat state.

It was twenty minutes into the event and more people had shown up. The bar was now almost full, and everyone was busy networking.

Hitoka hadn’t noticed when it happened, but the seat to her right was now occupied by a man while the chair to her left was still empty. The man beside her had dark hair, and was wearing a dark navy suit, white dress shirt and dark maroon tie. He was casually drinking a vertigo cocktail.

She could tell the man was an alpha because she was able to smell him from her seat, meaning he was producing more pheromones than the others around her. He smelled like saffron, a mix of sweet and bitter as well as earthy and smoky.

Hitoka was now on her second round of orange juice and was debating on whether or not to leave the party. She had started feeling drowsy and didn’t want to fall asleep in the middle of the event. Should her superiors see her nodding off then she would get a harsh scolding. 

The suit dressed woman was still in her thoughts when a voice brought her out of her musings. “Are you feeling ok” questioned the man seated to her right, “I noticed you dozing off” he said in a concerned voice. 

Laughing nervously at being caught, the blonde reassured the stranger, “I’m fine. I must have just zoned out is all”.

He apologized for disrupting her thoughts and then introduced himself, “My name is Akaashi Keiji and I work for Shueisha”.

“It’s nice to meet you Akaashi-san, my name is Yachi Hitoka and I work for D2C” the small woman said in response.

The two of them exchanged business cards and started discussing what they did at their respective jobs. They were beginning to get comfortable in each other’s presence when a man who looked to be in his forties stumbled onto the empty chair beside Hitoka. The salt and pepper haired newcomer looked like he had a little too much to drink, and was leaning towards the blonde. 

Hitoka was quick to identify the older male as an alpha. He smelled of pungent garlic, the scent was unpleasant to her nose and had her instinctively lean away from the man. Unintentionally getting closer to Akaashi. The young woman didn’t notice the way the movement had her hair flutter around her, lightly brushing her new acquaintance’s face. From behind her Akaashi was able to momentarily get a whiff of her. She smelled of sweetness and ripeness, with an undertone of spicy. 

The appearance of the new alpha was Hitoka’s cue to leave. She didn’t want to find out what the inebriated man would say or do should he find out her omega status. Her body was sluggish and her defenses were down. Staying at the party any longer would be a mistake. 

Turning her body to face the messy black-haired man she said, “It was nice meeting you Akaashi-san, but I need to be on my way”.

While getting up Hitoka swayed a bit, making it appear as though she was drunk. The lack of control she had on her body was beginning to frustrate her. The inconsistency in the pre-heat symptoms she was experiencing was unlike those she’s ever encountered. And every time she thought she was getting better her body would betray her.

Akaashi noticed her unsteady posture and brought his hands to her shoulders in order to steady her. His gut was telling him to walk her to her destination and make sure she was safe. “I can walk you to the station” he offered.

“No, it’s okay. I can make it there on my own” Hitoka said, “I don’t want to ruin your evening by having you leave the party early” the small woman finished.

Releasing her, the editor continued, “It’s no trouble at all. I was about to leave myself anyways”.

Hitoka had her doubts about having him escort her, but at the same time she thought that he was respectful and responsible. And she would feel safer having him accompany her.

“I suppose if we’re both heading to the station then there’s no problem with going together” Hitoka reasoned aloud. The two of them paid no mind to the grey haired older alpha who was now slouched over the counter, and left the restaurant venue.

Akaashi wasn’t certain at the work party, if what he smelled was her perfume or shampoo. But now that they were out in the open, he was able to clearly distinguish she was producing the alluring pheromones. The turtleneck she was wearing helped dampen the strong aroma, but her hair had spent a lot of time around her face and neck and couldn’t completely conceal the smell.

The breeze was maneuvering around the both of them as they walked side by side. The gust air carried her wonderful scent, teasing him. Her natural fragrance had his mouth start salivating and made the blood run through him faster. He felt considerably warm despite the cold temperature outside. 

Akaashi’s instinct was telling him to take the defenseless woman somewhere safe and alone. She was clearly an omega in pre-heat. Had the blonde been his omega he would have taken care of her, and made sure there was no need for her to be outside in such a vulnerable state. But she wasn’t his and he wasn’t about to do something improper to the small woman, no matter how strongly his animal tendencies were compelling him to claim her. 

“Thank you for walking with me to the station” Hitoka said.

The dark haired male hadn’t noticed when he started daydreaming, but her voice brought him back to the matter at hand. They had stopped in the middle of a bridge overlooking traffic, close to the station where they would have to go their separate ways. 

“Forgive me, but this is for your safety” he said suddenly. Unable to completely ignore his protective urge, Akaashi gently took her face in his hands and affectionately nuzzled the top of her head, effectively masking her omega scent with his own.

Hitoka held her breath during the interaction. Equally scared and thrilled at what he was doing. Her body was pleased with the attention and marking the good smelling alpha was giving her, but her mind was scared of what it meant for her omega self.

The physical contact between them lasted only a few seconds. Certain that she smelled like him. The dark haired man willed himself to let go of her smooth warm face and took a step back.

Face downturned and unable to make eye contact with the tall male, she questioned hesitantly “…you know what I am?”.

“Yes” Akaashi answered simply, “I can tell you’re in pre-heat” he continued. At that comment Hitoka finally looked up at him. “It’s not safe to be out in your condition” he said. “Your body is weak and your scent although covered up is not completely unnoticeable” he reasoned. “I marked you for your safety as well as for my peace of mind” explained the alpha. “Please send a message to the number on the business card I gave you when you get home safely” he asked.

Unable to say anything Hitoka just shook her head yes. They both resumed their walk and in quick time were in front of the station entrance. They were facing each other when Akaashi next spoke, “If you ever need anything, or anyone…just know I’m here and available”.

Not knowing what to say in this type of situation Hitoka responded by saying “Thank you”. With that the messy black-haired man took one last look at her and said “Goodbye” before heading in the opposite direction. The small blonde woman stood in place for a second longer before heading inside. 

______

Hitoka was in her bedroom undressing when she remembered she had yet to message Akaashi. She quickly finished changing into her comfy lounge wear and went to grab her purse. The business card and her phone were easy to find inside the bag. Unlocking her smart phone, she set to typing his number and composing the message. Quickly sending off the text, she walked to her bed and lied down. With the day’s events and her fatigued body Hitoka quickly fell asleep. The chime of her mobile receiving a message two minutes later was not registered in her unconscious state.


	6. Chapter 6

Hitoka woke up the next morning slightly cold from having fallen asleep on top of her bed. Still lying down and drowsy she groped around for her phone. Hand wrapping around the device she pulled it towards her face. The time read 9 am, and on the lock screen she was notified of two unread messages. One from her department supervisor and one from Akaashi.

She opened the text from Akaashi first. ‘Thank you for letting me know you arrived home safely. My offer from last night still stands. If you ever need anyone to help during your pre-heats don’t hesitate to call or message me. And please be careful.’ The text brought back memories of Akaashi scenting her, and caused a blush to dust her cheeks. 

Blinking rapidly Hitoka pushed aside her minds inclination on further reliving the interactions from last night.

Remembering she had another notification, the blonde opened the message from her superior, which said that he forgot to hand her a file for an upcoming project and that she needed to get it from the office as soon as possible so that she had enough time to work on it.

Grumbling under her breath Hitoka got up from the comfort of her bed and went into the kitchen. She was in no hurry to go to the office on her day off, but resigned herself to get the project file after breakfast and a shower. The longer she waited to do the task the more inconvenient it would become during her break.

Feeling content after breakfast and refreshed after her shower, Hitoka started dressing for the errand. She put on an oversized long sleeve white shirt, black leggings, and a pale pink teddy jacket. 

From her closet she grabbed her black college backpack. It was basically empty, made out of a lightweight fabric and large enough to comfortably fit the folder she would be retrieving.

Hitoka was about to leave her room when she caught sight of her chunky pastel pink check scarf. Thinking it was best to have her scent glands covered, she snuggly wrapped the wool scarf around her neck.

Having everything she needed, the blonde completed the outfit with her favorite black slip on shoes and left her apartment.

_____

Arriving at her floor, Hitoka exited the elevator and headed to her work desk. Sure enough the file her supervisor mentioned was sitting off to the side with a sticky note attached to the front. ‘Urgent New Project’ it read in her senior’s handwriting.

Letting out a sigh. Hitoka opened the purple folder and briefly read over the details. The project was to design a Christmas theme holiday wrapping paper. And the deadline was for before Christmas which was at the end of the month. No wonder her superior was freaking out and messaged her to start immediately. She carefully placed the file in her backpack and headed for the lobby.

Leaving her office building Hitoka leisurely started heading for the station. She was no more than twenty steps away from her place of work when someone called out to her, “Excuse me”.

Stopping in her tracks she turned towards the voice, which belonged to a tall brown haired man. He had on light wash jeans, a white shirt, a long beige coat, and all white shoes. On his back he carried a stuffed backpack and was tugging along two large suitcases. Hitoka wasn’t usually struck by people’s appearances but this man was gorgeous, he looked like a model with his stylish clothes, slight tan, and zhooshed hair .

In awe as she was she hadn’t moved from her place and the man had walked up to her. “Do you know where Palace Hotel is” he asked kindly. Luckily she did know where that hotel was since it was one of the more expensive ones in the city, and she’d dined in the hotel’s restaurant before.

“Yes, it’s one stop away from where we are” she answered.

“No wonder” he exclaimed, “I’ve been roaming around for ten minutes and couldn’t find it” continued the stranger. “My phone battery died on the ride here, and I must have gotten off at the wrong stop” he explained.

A few seconds in the open air was all it took for this alphas pheromones to penetrate her nose. He smelled like bergamot, a type of citrus with a slight floral and a distinct spicy scent.

Her immediate thought after smelling him was to leave as quickly as possible. But then she remembered Akaashi scented her, and after being scented by an alpha an omega will smell like them for about 1 to 2 days. That realization brought her out of her panic.

The male was done talking now and Hitoka had yet to say anything else. “I’m actually headed for the station right now” spoke the blonde, “I can help take a suitcase if you want, since it’ll be a ten minute walk” offered the small woman. She reasoned that she wouldn’t be in any danger but was still slightly anxious.

“Thank you so much” said the brown haired man. “My name is Oikawa Tōru by the way” he supplied as he offered Hitoka the lighter of the wheeled travel bags.

“I’m Yachi Hitoka” the blonde responded in kind.

Oikawa started to talk amicably as they made their way to the station. Hitoka learned that the brown haired male had lived in Argentina for a couple years and that he just accepted a job offer in Japan, and was in the process of finding a place to move into. She was able to gather that his job was either very generous or had plenty of money since they offered to pay for the hotel fees until he found an apartment. 

Privately, the luxury accommodations cemented the idea that he was a model. A high end one at that.  
_____

They were now inside the station and it was time for them to part ways and go to their respective platforms.

Hitoka was passing the suitcase back to Oikawa when a thought popped in her head, “I can write down directions on how to get from the station to the hotel” she said as his luggage made it into his personal space.

“Would you” he asked with hope. Hitoka smiled at him and proceeded to take out a piece of paper and pen from her backpack and write detailed directions to the building. 

Done writing, the blonde handed the parchment to Oikawa. “You’re a life saver” the brown haired male said in gratitude.

“It’s no problem at all” said Hitoka. She was about to bid him farewell and leave, but he spoke up first.

“Could I get your number” he asked calmly. His tone was so disarming and the question was so out of left field that Hitoka thought she misheard. Her head shot up to make eye contact with him. Her amber eyes met his dark chocolate ones, her gaze clear and questioning. In her opinion there was no reason an elite model would want to keep in touch with a nobody like her.

Oikawa saw her confused puppy look and went on to justify his need for her number, saying that he wanted to take her out for helping him when he was lost.

“That’s okay, no need to re-pay me or anything” said the small woman.

“I insist,” he countered , “I don’t have many friends since I’ve been out of the country for a while, and my best friend is out of town right now. You would really be helping me out again if you accept to grab a meal with me later” he said smoothly. 

Understanding washed over Hitoka’s features, knowing firsthand what it’s like to be alone in a new city. Seeing her reaction Oikawa returned the piece of paper she just handed to him. On the back of the page the blonde wrote her number before letting the sheet exchanged hands one last time.

“I guess I’ll see you later then” the petite woman said. And started taking small slow steps backwards.

“I’ll message you once I charge my phone” the brown haired man replied. Smile on his face as he folded the piece of paper and tucked it into his coat pocket. 

“Ok,” Hitoka said cheerily, “and good luck apartment hunting” she declared with a smile and waved goodbye before turning and leaving for her platform.  
_____

Oikawa was inside the train heading for his hotel when he raised the page of instructions closer to his face. It was uncanny but there was a smell that came off the note.

The pheromones he was inhaling brought back memories of him in his teenage youth and he quickly identified the smell as definitively omega. He would know since he was lucky enough to have dated an omega in high school, until she dumped him. However the scent he remember back then didn’t even compare to the one wafting off the paper. The aroma he was experiencing now was mature, ripe, and intoxicating. This fragrance was completely different from the one of his former girlfriend, who in her late teens smelled wonderful but overly sweet and one dimensional. 

Whoever this unidentified person was, they unknowingly had the most potent omega pheromones he’d ever come across.

The blonde he was just with gave off no scent of her own. If anything he was able to pick up an alphas pheromones, and assumed she was a beta. If she was producing an odor of her own it was masked by the strong alpha’s.

Unsure if the woman he was just with was an omega or if the paper originally belonged to one left him bewildered. Excitement flooded him with the prospect of meeting the person who made such a smell. He would find out who’s scent that belonged to the next time he met up with the small woman.

Maybe Iwa-chan being out of town was a blessing in disguise Oikawa thought. If his best friend had been around then he would have been picked up from the airport, and consequently not gotten lost and come across the enticing omega pheromones. 

Breaking his thoughts Oikawa quickly refocused on his destination, not wanting to get off-course again.  
_____

Hitoka was in the comfort of her home now. The small interaction she had with the handsome male left her a bit flustered but more than anything she was pleased to know that Akaashi’s scent protected her. 

With new found assurance she started to work on her new assignment. She also wanted to send out some last emails before she officially checked out for the long break. 

The young woman had sent out an email to Kozume-san, giving him dates to choose from for their next meeting. It was important to stay on top of her solo project for the young CEO, for her own piece of mind but also as to not get chewed out by her superiors for jeopardizing the company’s relation with a large client.

It was later in the evening after she accomplished all her tasks that Hitoka looked at her calendar. If she was to go by how her pre-heats normally lasted then tomorrow should be her last day, and that would mean it had been a week since she started oozing omega pheromones.

Tomorrow would be the day when she is most exhausted, and shouldn’t venture outside much. On the last day of her pre-heat the blonde normally slept all day and would be sluggish. It was her omega body’s way of trying to get claimed by an alpha. 

Although the thought of tomorrow brought slight dread, it also brought Hitoka relief to know that her pre-heat was ending. 

She spent the rest of the night reading the books Yūki and Runa recommended.


End file.
